Call and data correspondence in a call-in center employing virtual restructuring for computer telephony integrated functionality

ABSTRACT

A call center having agent stations comprising telephones connected to computer stations by a Telephone Application Programming Interface (TAPI)-compliant bridge has data pertaining to callers stored in a database on a local area network (LAN) to which the computer stations are also connected. Origination data for incoming calls, both conventional calls to the telephones and computer-simulated calls to the computer platforms, is used as a key to extract data pertaining to calls from the database for display on video display units (VDUs) of the computer workstations where the calls are terminated. In some cases, data is only extracted and displayed for calls from previously listed origination points.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED DOCUMENTS

[0001] The present application is a Divisional application of copendingpatent application Ser. No. 08/928,861, which is a Continuation-In-Part(CIP) of prior copending patent application Ser. No. 08/869,815, whichis a CIP of copending application Ser. No. 08/802,667, which is a CIP ofcopending patent application Ser. No. 08/797,420. The presentapplication is also a CIP of copending application Ser. No. 08/833,340,and of a copending application having an Attorney Docket number P3226,filed Jul. 9, 1997. Titled “Methods in Computer Simulation of TelephonySystems”, for which the USPTO has not, at the time of the presentapplication, returned a S/N.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0002] The present invention is in the area of telephone call processingand switching, and pertains more particularly to intelligentcall-routing systems, and equipment and methods for customizing andpersonalizing Routing Rules and Protocol.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0003] Telephone call processing and switching systems are, at the timeof the present patent application, relatively sophisticated,computerized systems, and development and introduction of new systemscontinues. Much information on the nature of such hardware and softwareis available in a number of publications accessible to the presentinventor and to those with skill in the art in general. For this reason,much minute detail of known systems is not reproduced here, as to do sowould obscure the facts of the invention.

[0004] One document which provides considerable information onintelligent networks is “ITU-T Recommendation Q.1219, IntelligentNetwork User's Guide for Capability Set 1”, dated April, 1994. Thisdocument is incorporated herein by reference.

[0005] At the time of filing the present patent application therecontinues to be remarkable growth in telephone routing systems, withrouting done both at or near point-of origin of incoming calls, and atcall destinations. For example, systems are known to the presentinventor that perform initial call processing before routing an incomingcall to a destination switch, and further routing is done at the calldestination in computerized telephony equipment, often termed customerpremises equipment (CPE). The present invention pertains mostparticularly to routing at customer premises.

[0006] There are, at the time of the present patent application aconsiderable range of CPE systems available for use from variousmanufacturers, and, as state-of-the-art routing systems are typicallycomputerized, there is a broad variety of software available for suchsystems as well. It is the software in general wherein routing rules areset, and the routing rules determine the decision-making paths a systemfollows in routing calls.

[0007] In current art, although there are widely varying systems in theart relative to routing rules, all such systems exhibit a commondrawback. Typically such systems, once set up (programmed) to followcertain routing rules and practices, cannot easily vary, and individualusers or groups of users, cannot change the rules arbitrarily. To tinkerwith the routing rules in CPE typically requires a highly-trainedmaintenance technician (system administrator).

[0008] What is clearly needed is method and apparatus which allows anindividual user of a routing system, or a group of users, to alter andcustomize the routing rules of the system for particular purposes, whichmay change from time to time, depending on the users.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0009] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention a telephonycall-in center is provided, comprising a plurality of agent stations,individual ones of the agent stations having a telephone and a computerplatform including a video display unit (VDU), the telephone andcomputer platform connected by a Telephone Application ProgrammingInterface (TAPI)-compliant data link; a local area network (LAN)connecting at least some of the computer platforms at the agentstations; and a first computer processor connected on the LAN, having awide area network connection (WAN) adapted to receive computer-simulatedtelephone calls, and having access to a database. The computer platformis adapted to retrieve origination data for incoming calls to thetelephone, and to use the origination data to correlate the caller withfurther data retrieved from the database for display on the VDU. In someembodiments the the first computer processor is adapted to service callsfrom specific Service Control Points (SCPs) and to block display of dataat agent station VDUs for any call not identified as originating at oneof the specific SCPs.

[0010] In preferred embodiments the computer platforms are adapted toreport the origination data to the first processor, and the firstprocessor is adapted to correlate the caller with further data retrievedfrom the database for display on the VDU.

[0011] In an alternative embodiment a telephone call-routing system isprovided, comprising a call-in center comprising a plurality of agentstations, individual ones of the agent stations having a telephone and acomputer platform including a video display unit (VDU), the telephoneand the computer platform connected by a Telephone ApplicationProgramming Interface (TAPI)-compliant bridge, with a plurality of thecomputer workstations connected to one another, to a first processor,and to a database on a local area network (LAN); and a call-routingcenter comprising a telephony switch adapted to switch telephone callsto the telephones at the call-in center and a processor adapted to routecomputer-simulated telephone calls to the computer platforms at theagent stations. In this embodiment the computer workstation is adaptedto retrieve origination data for incoming calls, both conventionaltelephony and computer-simulated, and to report the origination data tothe first processor, and wherein the first processor is adapted to usethe origination data to correlate the caller with further data retrievedfrom the database for display on the VDU. IN some instances the firstprocessor is adapted to service calls from specific Service ControlPoints (SCPs) and to block display of data at agent station VDUs for anycall not identified as originating at one of the specific SCPs.

[0012] In yet another embodiment an agent station for a call-in centeris provided, comprising a computer platform having a local area network(LAN) adapter, the computer platform adapted for receiving andprocessing computer-simulated telephone calls; a telephone having atelephone line port; and a Telephone Application Programming Interface(TAPI)-compliant bridge connecting the computer workstation and thetelephone. The computer workstation is adapted to retrieve originationdata for calls, both calls to the telephone and computer-simulated callsto the computer platform, and to report the origination data on a LANvia the LAN adapter to a processor connected to the LAN.

[0013] In still another embodiment a method for correlating displayeddata with incoming conventional telephone and computer-simulatedtelephone calls at a call-in center is provided, comprising steps of (a)connecting individual telephones at the call-in center by a TelephoneApplication Programming Interace (TAPI)-compliant bridge to individualcomputer platforms; (b) connecting each telephone-connected computerworkstation on a local area network (LAN) to a processor connected onthe LAN, the processor having access to a database storing data to bedisplayed; (c) monitoring origination information of incoming calls bythe computer workstations; (d) providing the origination informationover the LAN to the LAN-connected processor; and (e) using theorigination information via the processor to correlate data to bedisplayed with the incoming calls.

[0014] In the various embodiments of the invention described in enablingdetail below, call centers without call-switching apparatus and capableof also processing computer-simulated calls are enabled, while alsoproviding means of correlating stored data pertaining to callers withcalls to agent stations, displaying the data on VDUs at the agentstations while calls are in progress.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES

[0015]FIG. 1 is a system diagram of a call-routing system in anembodiment of the present invention.

[0016]FIG. 2 is a sample of a broadcast announcement record in anembodiment of the present invention.

[0017]FIG. 3 is a sample user interface screen in an embodiment of thepresent invention.

[0018]FIG. 4 is a system diagram of a call-routing system implemented inclient-server mode in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0019]FIG. 5 is a block diagram of a call-routing system in the priorart.

[0020]FIG. 6 is a block diagram of a call-routing and call-in systemaccording to embodiments of inventions known to the present inventors.

[0021]FIG. 7 is a block diagram of a call and information routing andcall-center system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0022]FIG. 8 is a block diagram depicting a simulated system accordingto a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0023]FIG. 1 is a system diagram of a call-routing system according to apreferred embodiment of the present invention. Dotted lines 123 encloseelements of the system native to a customer's premises (CPE). Thisequipment in a preferred embodiment comprises a computerized telephonycentral switch 121 connected by a data link 212 to a processor 223running an instance of a unique telephony server (T-Server) T-S 207.Switch 121 in conventional art distributes incoming calls (on line 105)to connected telephones, such as telephone 131 at a workstation 361 andtelephone 132 at a second workstation 362. In various embodiments of thepresent invention T-Server 207 running on processor 223 exertscontrolling influence on routing of incoming calls, as is described infurther detail below.

[0024] In various embodiments of the present invention each workstation(361, 362) has a PC with a video display, such as PC/VDU 331 atworkstation 361 and PC/VDU 332 at workstation 362. There will be in mostarchitectures many more than the two telephone workstations shown, eachwith an associated PC, but two are considered adequate by the inventorsto illustrate embodiments of the present invention.

[0025] PC/VDUs 331 and 332 in various embodiments are connected on alocal area network (LAN) 301 which also connects to a data file server303 and to processor 223 running an instance of T-Server 207. Thearrangement of PC/VDU plus telephone at each workstation is a commonarrangement for many company facilities, and has become more common asmore and more people become computer literate. Moreover, many companiesare actively training employees in use of computers, and providingPC-type computer equipment, usually interconnected by company LAN, foremployees to use.

[0026] In the exemplary system shown, calls may originate at any remotecall-in point, which is represented in FIG. 1 by region 100, referred toherein as the network cloud. Network cloud 100 may be a small regionalportion of the world-wide network of connected telephony equipment, ormay represent the entire world-wide network. An incoming call at anypoint in network cloud 100 is represented by vector 107 to servicecontrol point (SCP) 101 (typically a telephony central switch), which inthis example is connected to an adjunct processor 103 and coupledthereby to an intelligent peripheral (I-P) 102, a distribution processor104 and a processor 208 running a second instance of unique T-Server 207as well as a statistical server (stat-server) 209. In this system callsare forwarded to switch 121 at the customer premises equipment overtelephone line 105, and associated data is forwarded in parallel toprocessor 223 over a digital network link 210. Such systems, whereindata associated with a call is forwarded on a separate link from thecall itself, are, to the inventor's knowledge at the time of the presentpatent application, not known in the art, but are known to the inventor.This feature, however, is not required in practice of the presentinvention, but preferred in some embodiments.

[0027] In embodiments of the present invention a call originating in thenetwork cloud and routed to switch 121, destined for one of telephones131 or 132 or to another destination at the customer's premises,typically carries a destination number, which may include a directinward dialing (DID) feature, whereby a limited number of lines may beused to carry calls to a larger number of final destinations,accomplished principally by software techniques. Destination may also beto a virtual number, of which many may be programmed, and T-Server 207may be adapted to further route calls forwarded to such virtual numbers.The phone call may also have caller ID attached (originating caller'sphone number), and in those cases wherein a separate network digitaldata link is accomplished between processors at the origination end(208) and the customer's premises (223) cases a data packet associatedwith the call may be forwarded over link 210. Also, T-S 207, whichinteracts continuously with switch 121 in this embodiment, is capable oftransacting with data file server 303, given caller ID and/or other dataassociated with a call, to retrieve further information about the callerfrom data file server 303.

[0028] It will be apparent to those with skill in the art that incomingcalls are not limited to two telephones as shown in FIG. 1. There may bemany more than two telephones connected to switch 121, other telephonyequipment, such as facsimile equipment and data lines may also beconnected and involved in routing decisions and transactions accordingto embodiments of the present invention. Moreover, existing techniques,such as virtual expansion for routing calls with a certain number tomultiple destinations on some pre-programmed protocol may also beinvolved. The simple diagram of a switch with two telephones connectedis meant to be illustrative for description of embodiments of thepresent invention.

[0029] It will be apparent to those with skill in the art as well, thata separate processor shown as processor 223 in FIG. 1, is not strictlyrequired in embodiments of the invention, depending on the level ofmachine intelligence and sophistication of switch 121. Switches forcustomer premises continue to be developed with new levels ofintelligent capability, and some may be capable of interacting withother elements of the present invention without a separate processorbetween the switch and a LAN such as LAN 301. Processor 223 will berequired to practice various embodiments of the invention with manyexisting telephony switches which may be used as element 121. Invirtually all cases in practicing the present invention, an instance ofunique T-Server 207 executing on a computerized platform will berequired.

[0030] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention routingintelligence is no longer confined to a central location such astelephony switch 121 or T-Server 207 running on a connected processor,but distributed in a manner that individual users of the system maycustomize routing at their own workstations, using individual PCs. Thisis accomplished in large part by control code executable at a user'scomputer workstation. It is not required that the actual code be alwaysat the user's workstation, as it may be shared code resident at, forexample a file server on LAN 301, such as file server 303. The uniquecode may be accessed from such a server and executed at any one ofseveral workstations such as workstations 361 and 362 by PC/VDU 331 andPC/VDU 332 respectively. The location of stored code, and access to suchcode is not, however germane to the invention. In embodiments of theinvention, an individual PC executes unique code to provide call-routingcontrol for an individual.

[0031] In embodiments of the present invention, T-Server 207 is adaptedto cooperate with code executed at individual PCs to route incomingcalls. In this unique routing process there are at least two differentmechanisms that may be used. In one mechanism, all calls are routed to asingle routing point, and each individual routing application registerswith that routing point. In this case a record of each call is broadcaston LAN 301, as will be described more fully below, and filtering occursat each PC router. In a second mechanism there may be a virtual routingpoint for each PC using a personal router on the LAN. In this secondcase there is no need to broadcast call particulars on the LAN. Thissecond alternative is typically more expensive than the first, and thereare currently rather severe limitations on how many automatic calldistribution (ACD) queues or routing points may be allocated on atypical central switch.

[0032] Referring now to FIG. 2, and presuming the first of the twomechanisms described immediately above, with each incoming call, anoverall record of the call, prior to routing, is broadcast on LAN 301.This overall record can take a number of different forms, of which theexample in FIG. 2 is just one exemplary form. In this example theoverall record consists of four data portions. One data portion consistsof elements 201 and 202. Data element 201 identifies this portion as thecaller ID associated with the incoming call, and element 202 is thecaller ID number. A second data portion consists of data elements 203and 204. This portion is a data set which may be transmitted via link210 to processor 223 in parallel with the incoming call, or may becomposed partly of data retrieved from server 303, using other call dataas a pointer. Element 203 identifies the data as a data set, and element204 is the pointer. Similarly elements 205 and 206 constitute a directinward dialing (DID) number, and elements 207 and 208 fix number ofrings.

[0033] A central element in the present invention is that a user at anindividual PC runs an instance of a personal router application,providing that user with instant and complete control over routing ofcalls meant for that user (or, in some cases, associated users). Theuser's PC, such as PC/VDU 331 is connected typically by LAN to aprocessor such as processor 223, in turn connected to the centralswitch, such as switch 121.

[0034] At the computer portion of an individual workstation, such asPC/VDU 331 at workstation 361, the user has access to the localapplication which is interactive with code executed at T-Server 207 atprocessor 223, to control and customize routing for incoming calls,depending on certain data elements in the broadcast announcement record(FIG. 2). As a part of this unique capability to program routingresponses, the individual user may in some embodiments load to his/herVDU a unique user interface, an example of which is shown in FIG. 3.

[0035]FIG. 3 illustrates a window presentable to a user at an individualworkstation, compatible, for example, with Windows operating systems.This is an input and display interface for a personal router, avariation of which may be assigned to each of selected employees toprovide these individuals with an ability in conjunction with thepremises telephone equipment to customize and periodically adjust therouting of certain incoming calls. In this example, the interface is forcompany XYZ and limited to employee John Doe.

[0036] Through the individual interface, John Doe in this instance, mayprogram in a relatively high-level language, routing preferences forcertain incoming calls, according to data broadcast for such calls onLAN 301. In the case where each user has a dedicated routing point, anincoming call is directed to the individual's computer, and thebroadcast is not necessary.

[0037] In this example John Doe has programmed his interface to pick upall calls having Caller ID matched with a list “list1” after n1 rings.List1 is resident in John Doe's database associated with his ownPersonal Router, and John Doe may call up this list and amend, delete,and expand it as he wishes. The number of rings n1 may be any convenientnumber to accomplish John's purpose.

[0038] John Doe may program negative lists as well. Although notspecifically recommended, a negative list could be used to hang up onall calls that have an ID associated with a company or individual thathas been making harassing calls to an employee, or to shunt such callsto a special tracking program or the like.

[0039] John Doe in this instance has also programmed his personal routerto send all calls bearing his assigned DID number to the telephone athis desk after 0 rings, and to an answering machine after n2 rings.Associations with data sets may also be made, comparing such data setsto stored profiles and the like. At the bottom of the display in thisexample a status summary of calls may be provided. A user may choose tohave this window resident on his computer screen as a pix-on-pix, or tohide it and call it as needed. Also, it will be apparent to those withskill in the art that it is not strictly required that each selectedperson having an associated routing interface assigned have a computerat his/her elbow. For those persons not, for one reason or another,inclined to program their own routing, the interface may be called upand done by another, with appropriate access security applied. Asecretary or system administrator may perform such functions, using anyworkstation connected to company LAN 301.

[0040] The user interface at the user's workstation can take any of avariety of forms, and have a variety of functionality. Typically, whenthe user logs on, his system will be configured to execute the uniqueapplication to run in the background, and to monitor for incoming callsat all times the user is present and active. It will be apparent tothose with skill in the art that this can be done in a variety of ways.The interface, for example, may be a Graphic User Interface (GUI)wherein icons may be used to represent calls, callers, and other users,and the individual user at one workstation may select to display iconsas desired. In this alternative embodiment an incoming call may appearon a user's PC VDU as a small telephone in an announcement bar. Suchannouncement bars are familiar to those with skill in the art, such asseen on Operating System Desktops, where an e-mail arrival may beindicated by a letter icon and a sound.

[0041] In such an embodiment, by moving the screen cursor to thetelephone icon, which may be programmed to “ring” or to vibrate asthough it is ringing, the user may activate a text balloon announcingthe caller ID or other call data, or such data may be displayed directlyin the icon. The system can be configured in such an embodiment to allowthe user to route the call to his own phone with a click, to hang upwith a double click, to drag the call to a holding queue (represented bya basket, for example,) to send the call to an answering machine, whichmay be done by dragging and dropping the telephone icon to an answeringmachine icon, to transfer the call to another person by dragging anddropping the telephone icon to an icon representing another user (suchas the instant user's secretary or supervisor for example). Those withskill in the art will recognize that the functionality through the useof click and drag-and-drop procedures is very broad indeed.

[0042] Actions taken at the personal router interface at an individualPC on LAN 301 in embodiments of the present invention are codified asinstructions on the LAN to T-Server 207 (in most cases) running on aprocessor such as processor 223, connected to central switch 121. If anindividual user at a workstation, for example, has received an indicatorof a waiting call, and has dragged the ringing telephone to hissecretary's desk icon in his interface, his personal router interactswith T-Server 207 to instruct switch 121 to reroute the call to thesecretary's telephone. In a similar manner, most actions at a personalrouter become instructions to switch 121, and in general each userhaving access to such a personal router can program responses to callsand respond to incoming calls in real time with a broad set of availableresponses.

[0043] In embodiments of the invention, not necessarily all calls arerouted by personal routers executed on PCs on LAN 301. There may also beoverriding routing rules programmed into switch 121, such that certaincalls or types of calls are always handled in a certain way. Rules inswitch 121 may also determine the fate of calls that are not eventuallyrouted by personal routers. For example, all calls alive after sevenrings may be switched to a recorded announcement, and the like. In thismanner a very broad freedom of routing may be accomplished, withsecurity and flexibility to adapt for changes in the organization.

[0044] It will be apparent to those with skill in the art that thedivision of code and functionality between server 303, T-Server 207running on processor 223, and individual workstations on the LAN issomewhat arbitrary, with the requirement that individuals at theworkstations have interface access to customize and update personalrouting rules.

[0045] In another aspect of the present invention a Personal DesktopRouter is implemented in a Client-Server architecture. This embodimentis illustrated with the aid of FIG. 4. In this embodiment a router 401is provided and executes on processor 223 which also executes aninstance of T-Server 207. Router 401 in this instance is a centralrouter having routing rules divided in sections dedicated to eachassigned user or DN on LAN 301. Unique Client Interface Packagesrepresented by elements 401 a and 401 b are provided at individualworkstations such as workstation 361 and workstation 362 connected toLAN 301. Client Interface Packages 401 a and 401 b are for the purposeof allowing users at the workstations to edit their own personal routingrules, much as has been described above for personal routers accordingto embodiments of the present invention, wherein the routers execute atthe workstations.

[0046] In this Client-Server embodiment of the present invention, theactual router software exists and executes as one router 401. ClientPackages 410 a and 410 b may be implemented as a Graphical UserInterface (GUI) with iconic drag and drop features as described abovewith reference to FIG. 1, or may be of another suitable type designed toallow interaction with router 401.

[0047] It will be apparent to one with skill in the art that router 401,in this embodiment, is not required to reside in processor 223, but mayreside in any other machine capable of executing the router andconnected or coupled to LAN 301, such as switch 121. The router could beexecuted, for example, on a server on the Internet, and accessed by aWEB browser by a client connected to LAN 301. It will also be apparentto one with skill in the art that while router function does not occurat individual workstations 361 and 362 in this particular embodiment,editing capabilities provided to the user via client packages 401 a and401 b can remain essentially the same as described in previousembodiments taught herein.

[0048] In typical embodiments, router 401 is configured to allow a groupmanager or system agent to perform higher level configurations torouting rules, such as type of calls available, call parameters, userfunction or location changes, etc., while individual users may, throughtheir interfaces, configure routing rules for their own calls, withinthe boundaries set by the supervisor.

[0049] It will be apparent to one with skill in the art that anyconfigurational division of editing capabilities may be employed withreference to routing rules as they may exist in any given applicationwithout departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Aserver-based router such as router 401 in this embodiment, wherein aunique client package is provided for editing purposes at a user'sworkstation, such as workstation 361, is heretofore unknown to theinventor.

[0050] In the embodiment illustrated by FIG. 4 communication over analoglines 105 and data link 210, and other functions of the system, isessentially the same in method as is illustrated in FIG. 1 and describedabove with reference to FIG. 1. Also, network cloud 100 and thecomponents therein are essentially the same as in the embodiment inFIG. 1. For this reason much detail as to the dynamics of and paths ofcommunication in an embodiment of the present invention with respect toFIG. 4 are not repeated here.

Virtualized Computer-Telephony Integrated Link (3211-3213)

[0051] To help create a context for a detailed description of preferredembodiments of the present invention which follow, attention is firstdirected to FIG. 5, which is a block diagram of a call-routing system inthe prior art. In the system of FIG. 5 a call-in center 1150 isillustrated having two telephones 1162 and 1172. As was described abovein the background section, the present invention is particularlyadaptable to such call-in centers wherein a telephony switch is not apart of the equipment at the call-in center, thus no telephony switch isshown in FIG. 5 at call-in center 1150.

[0052] It will be apparent to those with skill in the art that there maybe just one phone in call-in center, or there may be several more thanthe two shown. Two telephones is an arbitrary choice for purposes ofillustration and description.

[0053] It is common and desirable at call-in centers for agents who manthe phones to have at hand a personal computer (PC) or a data terminalof some description including a video display and processor. Access tosuch a computerized system allows the agent to recall and display datapertaining to a caller, and also other information of use in dealingwith and helping caller, such as technical information about productsand product use. Although several types of such data terminals areknown, PCs are assumed here for purposes of description andillustration. A PC 1161 with a display is shown at hand for an agentusing telephone 1162 and a PC 1171 is shown proximate telephone 1172 foruse by an agent at telephone 1172.

[0054] In a very simple system there may be just one telephone and onePC proximate the telephone, therefore just a single equipped agentconstituting the call-in center. In the system of FIG. 5 having twotelephones, there are also two PCs. Each PC and associated telephone isconsidered here to constitute an agent station. Agent station 1160comprises telephone 1162 and PC 1161, and agent-station 1170 comprisestelephone 1172 and PC 1171.

[0055] In systems of the sort depicted by FIG. 5, having two or moreagent stations, it is desirable that the PCs be connected in a LocalArea Network (LAN), and this connectivity is shown in FIG. 5 with PCs1161 and 1171 connected on a LAN 1152 wherein a data file server 1153 isalso connected. Data file server 1153 in this system is the repositoryof customer data and the like accessible to agents manning the phones.Though not shown in FIG. 5 it will be apparent to those with skill inthe art that there may be other servers on the LAN or elsewhere in thenetwork as known in the art.

[0056] Telephone calls in the system of FIG. 5 are provided to telephone1162 on line 1164 and to telephone 1172 on line 1174 from essentiallyanywhere represented by network cloud 1100. Cloud 1100 could represent arelatively small local calling area, a regional area, a single phonecompany or even the phone system of the entire planet. Calls areforwarded by telephony switches represented by telephony switch 1120.

[0057] Calls 1104 intended specifically for call-in center 1150typically are received at Service Control Points (SCP) represented bySCP 1102, which are organized typically with one or more 800 numbers orthe like. Calls received and processed at SCP 1102 are forwarded toswitch 1120 which routes the calls to whatever area code and number isassigned to telephones 1162 and 1172. Other calls 1122 may also comeinto telephony switch 1120 and be routed to call-in center 1150. As isknown in the art, SCP 1102 is also a telephony switch.

[0058] Also as is known in the art, there may be equipment associatedwith SCP 1102 to provided some additional functionality, such as anadjunct processor and an intelligent peripheral. For simplicity's sakethese are not shown in FIG. 5, but FIG. 5 may be considered as typicalof many prior art systems. In the rather simple system of the prior artrepresented by FIG. 5 some data (such as caller ID for example, andDialed Number Information Service {DNIS}), may be associated with callsforwarded to call-in center 1150. Such data to be useful in the systemof FIG. 5 must be received by specialized equipment, such as familiarcaller-ID boxes or telephone sets adapted to use the information beingsold to people for home and business use.

[0059] Attention is now directed to FIG. 6, wherein a call-in systemknown to the present inventors is illustrated. In this system SCP 1102receiving calls 1104 intended for call-in center 1150 has a connectionto an adjunct processor 1106 in communication with both an intelligentperipheral 1101 and a call-distribution processor 1108. There is furthera processor 1116 connected by a two-way communication link tocall-distribution processor 1110. Processor 1116 comprises an instanceof a unique application termed by the inventors a Telephony Server 1114,or T-Server, and a Statistical Server (Stat-Server) 1112. T-Server 1114and functions provided by the T-Server are described in detail in therelated patent applications listed above and incorporated herein byreference.

[0060] In the system of FIG. 6 a processor 1151 is provided at call-incenter 1150, running a second instance of T-Server application 1114.Processor 1151 is coupled to processor 1116 in network cloud 1100 by anetwork link 1118, and to LAN 1152 by a network adapter. There is inaddition a CTI connection 1119 between telephony switch 1120 in networkcloud 1100 and processor 1151 at call-in center 1150. CTI connection1119 may be an ISDN link or other data-type connection allowing transferof CTI data and commands.

[0061] In the system of FIG. 6 information garnered in initialprocessing with use of IP 1101 may be provided by T-Server 1114 atprocessor 1116 to T-Server 1114 running on processor 1151 at the call-incenter. This data can be used, then, ahead of a routed call, to, forexample, to extract further data regarding a caller from a customer database in file server 1153, and to provide the transferred and retrieveddata at the PC display, such as PC 1161, proximate the telephone towhich a call has been routed, for use by the agent manning thattelephone.

[0062] Further, CTI transactional data retrieved from switch 1120 (linebusy, line available, and the like), may be provided to T-Server 1114 atprocessor 1116, and in some cases in raw or processed form toStat-Server 1112 to be used in routing by CD processor 1108. Many otherfunctions described in the related applications listed above may nowalso be accomplished. Still further, Stat-Server 1114 running onprocessor 1151 can issue CTI commands to switch 1120 in the networkcloud via CTI link 1119.

[0063] Although the system of FIG. 6 may be used to provide many CTIfunctions, there is a great dependence on telephony switch 1120. Someolder switches are not capable of CTI functions and data sharing, andsome others are very limited in their functions. Moreover, theorganization that provides a call-in center under these circumstanceshas no control over the switches in the network cloud, and it may not bepractical for such an organization to purchase and install an expensiveCTI-capable switch on the premises of the call-in center. What is neededis an apparatus and methods that will provide CTI functionality in theabsence of a workable CTI link, such as link 1119 in FIG. 2.

[0064] Virtual CTI Link

[0065]FIG. 7 is a block diagram of a call and information routing andcall-center system according to an embodiment of the present invention.The system of FIG. 7 has all of the connectivity and functionality ofthe system of FIG. 6, plus a data connection between each telephone inthe call-in center and the associated PC. For example, in FIG. 7, PC1161 is connected to telephone 1162 by link 1163, and PC 1171 isconnected to telephone 1172 by data link 1173. Moreover, as previouslydescribed, each PC is connected on LAN 1152, which also connects to fileserver 1153 and to processor 1151 running an instance of T-Server 1114.

[0066] There are a number of different ways a telephone and PC may beconnected, such as by a serial port and circuitry in the telephone andoperating code in the PC such that the PC may monitor transactions ofthe telephone, including on-hook, off-hook, incoming caller-ID, ringinginstance, and so forth. The PC via the data link may also exercisecontrol over telephone functions. With this unique connectivity andadaptation, assuming all of the telephones in a call-in center are thusconnected and adapted, T-Server 1114 running on processor 1151 mayacquire in aggregate all of the information otherwise available fromswitch 1120 via CTI connection 1119. T-Server 1114 on processor 1151 maythen perform as though a fully workable CTI connection 1119 to switch1120 is established.

[0067] Call and Data Correspondence

[0068] One of the important functions performed is identification ofcallers, retrieval of data relating to callers, and transmittal of suchdata to be displayed at the PC associated with each telephone at eachagent station. The advantage to all is readily apparent. The agentfielding a call is thus more prepared to deal with the caller, and willhave information readily at hand.

[0069] To provide the call and data display functionality desired it is,of course, necessary that a caller's identity be established and thecaller's correct data be retrieved for display. There are some instancesin the system depicted in FIG. 7 and described herein, wherein suchcorrespondence may be a problem. Consider, for example, the circumstancewherein an original call has been routed to telephone 1162. Theorigination of the call and caller ID are not available in the system ofFIG. 7 (with a non-functioning link 1119) until the call is connected totelephone 1162. At that point the necessary information is transferredto T-Server 1114 at processor 1151, and data specific to the caller maybe retrieved and displayed at PC 1161.

[0070] Consider now the further circumstance that after the agentanswers and the data retrieval begins, the original caller hangs up oris otherwise disconnected, and a second call 1122, a random call,entering the system not through SCP 1102 but directly into switch 1120,goes to telephone 1162. This circumstance could occur in a number ofdifferent ways, including a misdialed or misrouted call. There are alsoother sequences of events that could result in the same mismatch betweencall and data. Unless some action is taken, the data will be retrievedand displayed, although there will no correspondence between the dataand the caller.

[0071] In this circumstance the origination information, which may besuch as caller ID information or DNIS information, for the second(random) call will not indicate the call originates at SCP 1102. In anembodiment of the present invention, origination data transmitted toT-Server 1114 at processor 1151 indicating the call last received wasnot through a valid SCP will cause any data being prepared for displayat the agent station to be halted. In some embodiments, depending on thecapability of switch 1120, T-Server 1114 on processor 1151 may causesuch non-SCP calls to be disconnected and/or rerouted, by command overlink 1119.

[0072] Voice Extensions Through Integrated Agent Workstations

[0073] The direct connection of a telephone to a PC connected on a LANto a processor with an operating T-Server provides a platform for anumber of voice extensions useful in the overall process of customerservice through call-in centers. Several such voice extensions inembodiments of the present invention are described herein below.

[0074] Call recording is a major need in customer service operations ofthe sort described herein, especially in operations dealing withfinancial markets and utilities. Such recording operations in currentart are typically quite expensive to implement and difficult to manage.In an embodiment of the present invention an improved call recordingfacility is provided by virtue of the connection of the telephone to thePC by data link, and the functionality afforded through LAN 1152 andcode as a part of T-Server 1114. In this embodiment a digital voicerendition of both parties to a call is transmitted on link 163 (forexample) to PC 1161.

[0075] In one embodiment of the present invention all calls arerecorded, subject of course to local laws governing such matters, andprovision is made for selective archiving of recorded conversations. Therecording is all digital, and may be accomplished in a number of ways,utilizing a number of commercially available hardware and softwareentities, such as those marketed under the name SoundBlaster™. The LANconnection and availability of data servers such as server 1153 providefor the rather large amount of digital data needed for such a recordingoperation. In this embodiment organization of the recorded database canbe done in a variety of ways, categorized by agent, by subject, byproduct, and so on, and relational cross-referencing may be done aswell, providing a well of information not before available in suchcall-in centers. In addition interactive search and retrievefunctionality, and interactive report generation is provided. In anotherembodiment of the invention digital voice recording is provided ondemand, under control of the resident agent and/or the agent'ssupervisor. It will be apparent to those with skill in the art thatthere are many different schemes that may be employed for digital voicerecording, using the uniquely connected and managed apparatus of thepresent invention.

[0076] In other embodiments of the present invention voice playback isprovided, with pre-recorded massages played to a caller under agent orHost control. Such pre-recorded messages may be recorded by an agent orother person, and stored either locally in the PC or more remotely, suchas on a server connected to LAN 152. Such messages can includegreetings, mandatory messages required under law in some cases,disclaimers, and all kinds of messages that may be very repetitive foran agent.

[0077] In other embodiments of the present invention voice recognitionroutines are used allowing an agent to invoke displays with spokeninitiators on the telephone, recognized in the PC and acted upon eitherin the PC or through the PC by means of LAN 1152 by other servers on theLAN or by T-Server 1114. Voice recognition may also be used to detectupselling opportunities in the course of calls at PC connectedtelephones. Other voice recognition routines are used in embodiments ofthe invention to detect abusive or threatening speech, and toautomatically save calls or portions of calls that match patterns forsuch speech.

Methods in Computer Simulation of Telephony Systems (3226)

[0078] The present invention in embodiments described below pertains tocomputer simulation of telephony call centers and activity andfunctionality of such centers, and to computer telephony integration(CTI) as applied to such centers. It is well-known in the art that callcenter architecture and functionality is a rich and varied subject, andit is beyond the scope of the present specification to describe all ofthe rich variation in call center technology. There are, however,commonalties. Every call center, for example, is centered on a telephonyswitch, either at a customer's premises or provided by a telephonecompany. The telephony switch involved in a call center typically hasone or more incoming trunks of telephone channels for receivingtelephone calls, and typically one or more outgoing trunks as well, forplacing calls back into the network.

[0079] Also common to call centers is the fact of connections totelephones at agent stations, which are typically assigned directorynumbers. There may be just a few, dozens or even thousands of agentstations controlled by a single call center. In some call centers, onlytelephones are provided at agent stations. In others there may becomputer terminals with display monitors, and the computer terminals maybe interconnected on a local area network (LAN) along with networkservers of various sorts. Call centers have recently been developed forproviding video conferencing with agents. It may be seen that thearchitecture can be quite varied.

[0080] Telephone switches at call centers, depending on the model andmanufacture, are capable of certain functions in switching, such asAutomatic Call Distribution (ACD), queuing, playing recordedannouncements to callers, and much more, and typically the functionsavailable, and the manner in which the functions operate is specific tothe make and model of the telephony switch.

[0081] In addition to all of the above, the systems of interest for thepresent invention are systems having a CTI link capability, enablingconnection of a processor executing one or more usuallycustomer-specific applications. According to the reference incorporatedabove, CTI involves three areas: (1) Call Control, which includes anability to control and observe telephony calls, switching features andstatus, automatic call distribution (ACD) systems and ACD agents, and touse switching resources including tone generators and detectors; (2)Telephone Control, which is an ability to control and observe telephonedevices; and (3) Media Access, which includes binding telephone calls toother media services.

[0082] In accomplishing the observation and control functions of CTI aslisted above, applications executed on a CTI processor can be quitevaried in function, really limited only to the imagination ofapplication developers, and presently include such functions asagent-level routing, which will be familiar to those with skill in theart.

[0083]FIG. 8 is a block diagram depicting a simulated system accordingto a preferred embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 8, boundary2100 encloses software modules that emulate a call center and associatedobjects; boundary 2110 represents a unique CTI Link Interface Library(CLIL); and boundary 2120 represents a CTI application. Each of thethree broad elements introduced here is described in further detailbelow.

[0084] In simulating a call center and associated elements asrepresented in FIG. 8 by group 2100, it is necessary to simulate bothphysical and logical elements. These include, but are not necessarilylimited to (a) agents telephones and stations, (b) ACD, (c) ACD groups,(d) ACD queues, (e) incoming trunks, (f) outgoing trunks, (g)abstractions of communication relationship between one or more devices,and (h) communication with user applications.

[0085] In the example of FIG. 8, call center group 2100 comprises asoftware module 2101, termed a Simulated Incoming Call Module (SICM),which emulates incoming calls via one or more trunks 2104 to a switch2102. The SICM operates with an ACD list, and simulates calls to ACDgroups.

[0086] Switch 2102 is termed in embodiments of the invention a SimulatedTelephony Objects Module (STOM), and comprises a variety ofmicro-emulated objects represented here by elements 2130-2132, whichrepresent such as agents, ACD queues, and the like, as listed above.

[0087] Agent's telephones and agent stations as micro-emulated objectsin a call center simulation will have attributes and statuses including,but not necessarily limited to two-line connections; perhaps a grouprelationship; and an equipment configuration mode (status when calloffered, and status when call released).

[0088] Other entities that may become micro-emulated objects in a callcenter module, as represented by elements 2130-2132 include such as anInteractive Voice Response (IVR) system, remote access agents, mediaservices that may appear in a call center switch, and generally, anyfeature that a call center switch can perform. Outgoing trunks haveparameters including but not limited to a list of the outgoing trunksand a probability of answer result, such as answer, not answer, busy,answering machine, fax/modem, SIT tones, and so forth.

[0089] Calls in the simulation procedure have attributes and parametersincluding but not limited to origination party; destination party; PBXcall identifier, DNIS number, ANI, and call status, such as connecting,waiting, alerting, or conferencing.

[0090] Elements 2130-2132, represented here as icons, may be, asindicated above, any function or behavior associated with STOM 2102, andit will be apparent to those with skill in the art that the threeelements shown are not enough to depict all physical and logicalelements that would have to be provided for STOM 2102 to make arealistic simulation. The elements shown, however, will be sufficient toteach to practice of the invention to those with skill in the art.

[0091] Software module 2103 represents an outgoing and return module,termed a Simulated Outgoing Dialing Module (SODM), wherein calls placedby STOM 2102 over path 2106 are modeled, and calls returned as afunction of the outgoing calls over path 2105 are also modeled. STOM2102 communicates with Interface Library 2110 via paths 2108 and 2109.Link 2113 represents a CTI link from application 2120 to switch 2102 viaCLIL 2110.

[0092] The STOM notifies an application 2120 through CLIL 2110 ofarriving calls, and data associated with arriving calls, as wellchanging status of telephony objects and statuses. STOM 2102 receivesrequests from application 2120 via CLIL 2110 to change status of agentsphones and stations, such as login, logout, ready, not ready, or andbusy. Requests are also received to change call status, such as answer,reconnect, disconnect, produce new call, transfer call, and include acall to a conference. If requested changes are available the STOMproduces the changes and sends notification o the changes to application2120 through CLIL 2110. If requested changes are not available, negativenotification is sent.

[0093] In the embodiment of the invention illustrated by FIG. 8,although several computer functions are represented that may in a realsystem, rather than an emulated system, be executed on separate butconnected and intercommunicating processors, all of the systemrepresented by FIG. 8 will be typically executed on a single, relativelypowerful computer. The various elements represented are software moduleswritten to intercommunicate, and to simulate the behavior of realtelephony systems.

[0094]FIG. 8 is more than a block diagram representing a system of theinvention. FIG. 8 also represents a user interface wherein the elementsare objects represented on a graphical user interface (GUI) as icons.The system of the invention is adapted such that object elements may beselected from a library and interchanged into an interconnected system.

[0095] As an example of the object-oriented nature of the GUI of FIG. 8,attention is directed to SICM 2101. This software module is amicro-application that, when initiated and operating may simulate callsto STOM 2102. A master SICM is developed that includes all of thecharacteristics of incoming calls. The master module has inputparameters that allow a user to configure the module for certainbehavior of interest. As an example, it may be of interest to test anapplication running as element 2120 against a rush of Christmas shoppersplacing calls within a certain time frame at a certain rate, with thecalls statistically distributed for a range of products for which agentsat the emulated call center are adapted to enter orders and scheduledeliveries.

[0096] The matter of importance in describing this invention is not theparticular nature or statistical distribution of the calls, but the factthat the module has alterable parameters, also known as properties,which a user may manipulate to represent behavior of interest, and thatthe module is adapted to the system as an object, which may be removedand replaced by another object having a different parameter set. One maythen quickly and conveniently alter the incoming conditions for asimulation, and new modules with different parameter sets may bedeveloped off line and switched into the system.

[0097] Attention is now directed to STOM 2102. Iconic elements 2130-2132are shown as three different shapes in FIG. 1. Each of these elements isa micro emulated object having alterable parameters. Description of anagent object should be adequate to illustrate the nature of theinvention in this aspect.

[0098] Consider that element 2130 is a micro emulated agent module. Thismodule may be selected from a library in the fashion described above forthe SICM module, and dragged and dropped into switch 2132. Either beforeor after addition to the switch, parameters for the module may beaccessed and set. It will be apparent to those with skill in the artthat there may be a large number of agents assigned to a single callcenter, and that all of the agents may not have the same assignments orcharacteristics.

[0099] As an example of the versatility of the unique system, there maybe, for example, agents for English speakers who call, and agents whospeak Spanish for handling calls from Spanish-speaking customers.Certain agents may be trained for certain functions: to sell certainproducts, for example, or to provide technical assistance in certainsituations. There may be, however, multiple instances of amicro-emulated agent. For example, of a Spanish-speaking agent assignedto first shift duty and trained to sell three specific related products.An icon represented agent, then, will have a multiplicity parameter. Insetting up a simulation a user may select an agent, set certainparameters, then set the multiplicity parameter so that the call centerwill behave as though there were, say, twenty such agents.

[0100] It will be apparent to those with skill in the art that there areseveral ways parameters may be accessed and set for a micro-emulatedobject, such as element 2130, which may, for example, represent an agenthaving particular attributes. In one embodiment, for example, a selectedicon representing a micro-emulated object may be caused to display anassociated window in the GUI, and the window will have programmingfields wherein a user may access and alter (edit) parameters. If theobject is an agent, there may be, for example, a parameter field forlanguage, for product knowledge, for shift assignment, and so forth;and, as indicated above, there may also be a parameter for multiplicity.If a simulated agent having a complete set of behavior parameters is tobe represented multiple times in a call center simulation, themultiplicity parameter may be set for “n” instances, then the objectwill behave in operation of the simulation as “n” objects. The behaviorof such objects can be in preferred embodiments, randomized, so thebehavior, where there is a range, is not always the statistical average.

[0101] For example, even though there may be multiple instances of anagent with a certain characterization, it will never be true that everysuch agent will behave in exactly the same way. Some of the agents mayhabitually come late or leave early, and others may take longer thanothers for processing after calls are released. In an aspect of theinvention such variations are accounted for by access to a statisticaldatabase and random generator. Typically the statistical averagebehavior of all such agents will be known, and may be stored in a mannerto be accessible to the system. Multiple agents, otherwise identical inbehavior, are caused to randomly alter their behavior in a way that thestatistical average behavior is met.

[0102] It will be apparent to those with skill in the art that the abovedescription of agent functionality and variation, and the method ofapplying parameters, multiplicity, and statistical behavior is notnecessarily limiting in the invention. Many variations are possible,even including programming an individual module for each an every agentin a setup of interest.

[0103] Attention is now directed to CLIL 2110 and communication betweenSTOM 2102 and CLIL 2110. CLIL is an interface library whose function itis to translate between STOM 2102 and application 2120 in a particularmanner. STOM 2102 is configured in a manner that will be common to anyof the several makes and models of available telephony switchescurrently available. Different makes and models of telephony switchescommunicate with CTI applications in different ways, however, andprovide significantly different behavior specific to a particular makeand model of switch. Communication may also be characterized by latencyconsiderations. For example, in some real world situations one mightwish to test, the telephony switch will be on the customer's premises,and in others, the telephony switch might be in the network, remote fromthe customer's premises. Latency issues in communication will differ bythe different switch location, even with the same physical switch.

[0104] CLIL is a switch-dependent layer that controls communication ofcommands and status over data paths 2108/2109 and CTI link 2113. Thefunction of CLIL 2110 is to add switch dependent characteristics to thecommunication, so one simulated generic call center can be made toappear to a CTI application as a particular make and model of a switchconnected in a specific manner. The particular value of CLIL 2110 isthat an application may be tested against one make and model of aswitch, and, by selecting a different layer of software from CLIL 22110,one may then test the same CTI application against a different make andmodel of switch and/or location and connectivity of a switch user mayquickly and conveniently substitute one CLIL setup for another forcommunication with a switch of interest.

[0105] Internet Protocol Network Telephony (IPNT)

[0106] In all of the embodiments and aspects of the invention describedabove specific example have been drawn from the technological area ofconventional intelligent telephony networks, other than what is nowknown as Internet protocol network telephony, wherein computers simulatetelephones through software, microphones, and speakers, and telephonydata between such equipped computers is transmitted over Internetconnections and directed by servers, such as destination number servers(DNS) in the Internet. In the IPNT world IP addresses are used insteadof telephone numbers, and there are differences in the way data packetsare formulated and transmitted. Moreover, what may be termed routing isdone by such as IP switches and hubs, wherein destination addresses maybe changed. These differences, however, are not limiting in embodimentsof the present invention.

[0107] In many embodiments of the invention described, the inventionsare involved with new and unique ways to use machine intelligence fortelephony functions, particularly, but not exclusively, as thesefunctions relate to call centers and intelligent routing of calls. Ininstances of the invention described, the principles of the inventionmay also be applied to IPNT without undue experimentation.

[0108] As examples of IPNT application, in those embodiments dealingwith personal routing and personal routers, the methods and apparatusdescribed may also be adapted to IPNT so personal routing rules,negotiation, and the like may be provided for IPNT calls as well. In theaspects of the invention dealing with simulation of CTI applications andtesting, the applications may apply to IPNT telephony as well as to moreconventional telephony systems. Other examples will be apparent to thosewith skill in the telephony arts.

[0109] It will be apparent to those with skill in the art that there aremany alterations that may be made in the embodiments of the inventionherein described without departing from the spirit and scope of theinvention. Some of these have been described above, such as the use of atelephony server like T-Server 1207 running on processor 1223. In somecases such a server is not needed to practice the invention, as wasdescribed above.

[0110] Many of the functional units of the system in embodiments of theinvention may be implemented as code routines in computerized telephonyequipment, computer servers, and individual workstations. It iswell-known that programmers are highly individualistic, and mayimplement similar functionality by considerably different routines.Also, the invention may be applied to widely varying hardware systems.Further, hardware used to practice the invention may vary in many ways.There are similarly many other alterations in the embodiments describedherein which will fall within the spirit and scope of the presentinvention in it's several aspects described. The invention is limitedonly by the breadth of the claims below.

What is claimed is:
 1. A telephony call-in center, comprising: aplurality of agent stations, individual ones of the agent stationshaving a telephone and a computer platform including a video displayunit (VDU), the telephone and computer platform connected by a TelephoneApplication Programming Interface (TAPI)-compliant data link; a localarea network (LAN) connecting at least some of the computer platforms atthe agent stations; and a first computer processor connected on the LAN,having a wide area network connection (WAN) adapted to receivecomputer-simulated telephone calls, and having access to a database;wherein the computer platform is adapted to retrieve origination datafor incoming calls to the telephone, and to use the origination data tocorrelate the caller with further data retrieved from the database fordisplay on the VDU.
 2. The telephony call-in center of claim 1 whereinthe first computer processor is adapted to service calls from specificService Control Points (SCPs) and to block display of data at agentstation VDUs for any call not identified as originating at one of thespecific SCPs.
 3. The telephony call-in center of claim 1 wherein one ormore of the computer platforms are personal computers (PCs).
 4. Thetelephony call-in center of claim 1 wherein the computer platforms areadapted to report the origination data to the first processor, and thefirst processor is adapted to correlate the caller with further dataretrieved from the database for display on the VDU.
 5. A telephonecall-routing system, comprising: a call-in center comprising a pluralityof agent stations, individual ones of the agent stations having atelephone and a computer platform including a video display unit (VDU),the telephone and the computer platform connected by a TelephoneApplication Programming Interface (TAPI)-compliant bridge, with aplurality of the computer workstations connected to one another, to afirst processor, and to a database on a local area network (LAN); and acall-routing center comprising a telephony switch adapted to switchtelephone calls to the telephones at the call-in center and a processoradapted to route computer-simulated telephone calls to the computerplatforms at the agent stations; wherein the computer workstation isadapted to retrieve origination data for incoming calls, bothconventional telephony and computer-simulated, and to report theorigination data to the first processor, and wherein the first processoris adapted to use the origination data to correlate the caller withfurther data retrieved from the database for display on the VDU.
 6. Thetelephone call-routing system of claim 6 wherein the first processor isadapted to service calls from specific Service Control Points (SCPs) andto block display of data at agent station VDUs for any call notidentified as originating at one of the specific SCPs.
 7. The telephonecall-routing system of claim 5 wherein one or more of the computerworkstations are personal computers (PCs).
 8. An agent station for acall-in center, comprising: a computer platform having a local areanetwork (LAN) adapter, the computer platform adapted for receiving andprocessing computer-simulated telephone calls; a telephone having atelephone line port; and a Telephone Application Programming Interface(TAPI)-compliant bridge connecting the computer workstation and thetelephone; wherein the computer workstation is adapted to retrieveorigination data for calls, both calls to the telephone andcomputer-simulated calls to the computer platform, and to report theorigination data on a LAN via the LAN adapter to a processor connectedto the LAN.
 9. The agent station of claim 8 wherein the computerplatform is a personal computer (PC) having a video display unit (VDU).10. A method for correlating displayed data with incoming conventionaltelephone and computer-simulated telephone calls at a call-in center,comprising steps of: (a) connecting individual telephones at the call-incenter by a Telephone Application Programming Interace (TAPI)-compliantbridge to individual computer platforms; (b) connecting eachtelephone-connected computer workstation on a local area network (LAN)to a processor connected on the LAN, the processor having access to adatabase storing data to be displayed; (c) monitoring originationinformation of incoming calls by the computer workstations; (d)providing the origination information over the LAN to the LAN-connectedprocessor; and (e) using the origination information via the processorto correlate data to be displayed with the incoming calls.